Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Summer is here


The Vikings have landed!!! Summer is here, I am busy recovering from surgery, and trying to keep up with the weeds. I am way behind, as soon as I can get my poop in a pile, I will make more updates to my page. Until then, here are a few photos to get you by. 
 
 My strawberries are making a comeback this year, any my belly is super happy about that. YAY!
 The sun was setting,  and lighting up my battery powered rose light. It caught my eye, and I loved it, so naturally, I had to get a photo.
 This is my marshmallow plant that I thought I killed last year, so excited to see it bloom soon for the first time ever, which you know will be when I am camping or something!
 Fairy lights are starting to come on at night now, make sure you dance with them and give them wine.
 Just some pretty lilies and pinwheels blooming like crazy. I love my flowers.
Kitty has a pretty fierce outdoor mean kitty face, she is not messing around in this photo! 

Monday, January 28, 2019

Winter is here!

 This weekend I got the last of my seeds, I ordered from Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Seed Savers Exchange, and my fav, Baker Street Seeds. I saw a post on Cosmopolitan Corn bread, (click the link to see the video, plus, once I realized her favorite seed companies are the same as mine, I knew I needed to pay attention to her, and this idea for seed storage is BRILLIANT!) explaining that she stores her seeds in plastic boxes that are originally designed for photo storage. I went out and got a couple, and let me tell you how awesome it is. I am so organized, I don't have to dig through bags and bags of seeds to find what I am looking for, it is so easy, and well, really, any chance I get to use the label maker is also a plus.


 I feel so organized and on the ball already, now all I have to do is plan, plot, and start the seeds, hehehehe. The last few years I have not had the time or the motivation to work on my garden. My father was sick for 3 years before cancer took him in 2016, since then, I have been trying to learn how to live with grief, how to get through the grief, and how to put my life back on. When you finally realize that your life doesn't fit  anymore, and that you really can make the changes you need to help it fit a little better, its a mixed bag or good and bad. Your new normal is strange and uncomfortable, but moving forward without your loved one makes you feel your leaving them behind, when really, you are not. As you move forward you do bring them with you, just in spirit, heart and soul, rather then actual physical body.

This year I am finally ready to begin moving forward and getting my life to look like the life I actually want to live. Gardening was something I shared with my Father, we both always longed to be farmers. Having my hands in the dirt, planning, planting, watching the slow everyday grow of my little beloved plants, are all things I would share with him. We spent a lot of time in each others gardens, learning, laughing, and just being. It will be hard  not having him to call and chat with, but he is with me, especially in the garden.

I am so exited to start my garden, I have been plotting new beds, and wanting to make so many changes that I need to make sure I do not go overboard this year. We are having a super dry winter here, but today we got a dumping of snow that snarled my way to work, a normal drive is about 20 minutes, today it took 1 hour 40 minutes to get to work, the whole way there I kept thinking how happy my garden would be with the at least 7" inches of snow that fell today. I was thinking of all my little plants getting the moisture they need, and hoping it will stop my roses from growing, (they are already showing new growth, hoping this slows it down) and how I can't wait to start all my seeds.

 As the gardener in my strives hard to use the winter to hibernate, reclaim my energy, and refresh the old soul inside me, the must go to work workerbee in me had to stomach the crazy drive to work today, and remember not to curse Mother Nature, but to say Thank You for slowing me down and forcing me to see the beauty, even in traffic, it was beautiful out. I will try to contain my spring fever, officially the earliest I have ever had it, and continue to replenish myself and prepare for the upcoming growing season, for the garden, and myself.
 So beautiful outside on the ride to work this morning, I was glad my car didn't get stuck, as I made it to work ever so slowly.
 I was also very excited to see people out there helping each other in the snow, seems like the last few storms nobody would stop and help anyone. Today I saw tons of people helping, and it made my heart very happy.

More beauty on the way to work, strung in with all the crazy road conditions. 
 Traffic just stopped, but all I could think of was how much I miss my Father, how much we need this moisture, and how much I need to just take a breath, relax and let the hibernation of winter rest my heart and soul.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Can I start Planting yet?

Clearly, I have spring fever WAY too early again this year! More to come.....




Saturday, February 10, 2018

Feb. 10th Already ?!?

This year is already flying by. Trying to get all my accounting work done for my business has left me with no time to do the fun garden and crafty things I love to do this time of year. I did take the time to get my seeds ordered, I am super excited for those to get here so I can start getting my hands in some soil. (Even if it is just starter seed soil, its still dirt and I love it.) This is a shot of my frozen garden from a few years back, it was so cold and snowy this morning, but I laid in bed to cuddle with the cat and my man rather then get out and take photos, so this one will have to do for now. 

I am starting to feel the pull of spring fever, and hoping that our recent cold blast and snow will help all my bulb flowers remember that it is still winter, and not come up early like they did last year. I can't wait to see all my bulbs again! Here's a few pictures  of a few tulips and strawberry flowers from last year to help get me through it!!



I was also able to take a quick couple of nights and sew some mini aprons from my Mary Jane's Farmgirl Swap for the Valentines day, here is a picture of the cat helping me sew those up a few weeks ago. I forgot to take a photo of the finished product, when I get it back in the swap I will share a picture so you can see how it turned out, but you get the idea.
I am also really missing my Dad right now, he passed away in Sept. 2016, but it feels like yesterday. I miss him everyday at work, as we have a small family business and he guided us along, especially right now during the end of the year book work and taxes. It's so hard to do without him, I have no idea how he did it on his own for 30 years. Today I found myself just crying, unable to get it together, sometimes, it just hits you like ton of bricks, today was one of those days. So, I rested, relaxed, had a good long cry, and will get back to putting one foot in front of the other tomorrow.  Love you so much Pop, you are with me in all that I do.



Sunday, December 3, 2017



Missing my garden. This is a photo from  2014, that was about the last time I really spent any effort on making it better, and really growing the things that I love.  My Dads cancer diagnosis in 2013 really took a toll on my energy, and my desire to want to do anything other than hanging out with him. Between trying to run our business, and doing whatever I could with my Dad, the garden and my homestead life got completely shut off. I am finally in a place where I am feeling joy come back into my life, I am thinking more about the things I love, that I stopped doing, that I need to start doing again. Gardening is Definitely one of them.  I am looking forward to this winter, and my usual gardener slumber, that really isn't a slumber at all, but more of a downtime to regroup, refresh, and plan like crazy all the things I want to accomplish in the next growing season. For the first time in years I am super excited to start my little seedlings, and create beautiful plants in my backyard canvas.

Something else I am ready to dive back into is sewing. I used to sew garb for the SCA life, and tried my hand at quilting and other fun sewing things, I have really been missing it. A few months ago I decided to join a swap with my Maryjane Farmgirl Sistershood sisters to create mini aprons based on different themes. I thought this would be a good way to slowly reconnect with sewing, since just like my gardening, it took a way way way back seat in my life. The mini apron in this picture is the one I made for the Christmas mini swap. I love with making these, and as hoped, it has sparked my creative sewing side to start thinking of all kinds things I want to create. I have connected with  very creative and talented ladies through the Farmgirl Sisterhood, every swap you get your apron back along with all the others that the Sisters have made, it's a blast seeing all the different things they come up with, so much talent, seriously crazy good. I'll post a photo of them all strung together when I get them up later this week.

There is much going on as I re-establish things in my life that have been missing for too long, I am taking it slow, but will share things that are happening as I can.

Happy Sunday!





Thursday, July 6, 2017

Missing my Dad

Sept. 7, 2016 I lost my Dad to cancer. He was diagnosed in the fall of 2013 with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and was given 7-12 months to live. He lived for another 3 years. He told me when he got diagnosed, he was not ready to go yet, he had things to do, he wanted 3 more birthdays, and at least 2 more Christimas', and he got them. He fought hard, I forget how many rounds of chemo he had, 6 maybe, seemed like he was doing chemo rounds 2 times a year that lasted at least 4 months, with a few months off in between. He was a strong man,  his body shutting down on him was very hard for him to deal with. He kept exercising, eating right, getting rest, anything he could do for one more day. He woke up everyday and thanked the Lord for another day on this earth, he reminded me that I needed to be doing the same, as none of us are getting out of this alive. He used to say he just happened to know his time was coming sooner then most knew. One day I was trying to get him to slow down, to stop doing so much, clearly it was getting hard for him to walk, or do minor tasks,  he got upset with me and told me, "I can't just sit around and wait to die, I have to be doing something, ANYTHING."

About a week before he died he said he wanted to talk to me, funny, since all we'd been doing was talking all the time, but he said he wanted to have a serious talk. He told me how worried about me he was,  he was worried him being sick and dying was something he thought I might not never recover from. He told me, I had to let him go, I had to be ready to move on, to remember him always in my heart, but that I needed to let him go. He told me, the first few months, the first year, are going to be very hard, but its okay, it will get better he said. You'll think of me a little less as time goes by, and at first you might feel guilty about that, but try not to, that's whats supposed to happen, your supposed to miss me, but keep then keep moving forward. Even in his last days, he was trying to teach me, to guide me, to help me. He was amazing, he was not thinking of himself, or his pain, he was trying to comfort me, he was worried for us. We had a long cry, we held hands and told each other some of our favorite memories,  he made me promise I would not be mad at God for him being sick and dying. I realized that my selfish attempts to hold onto him, were holding him up from what he needed to do. I told him I was ready to let him go, and tried to express how much my heart was breaking, and how much I would miss him. He told me he was going to miss me too, but he would check in on me when he could. We laughed at that, I told him he better find a way to let me know from the other side how it was over there. He died about 4 days after that conversation. We watched him as he had one foot in this world, and one in the other, and did our best to let him go. Towards the end he couldn't say my name, he couldn't say Christy,  he kept calling me Christmas, it was bittersweet.

So here I am almost 10 months later,  while it's not getting easier, it is more manageable,  I am finally able to understand what he was trying to tell me. My Dad did not want me to get stuck in that place of grief and sadness, he wants me to live, to be happy, to not waste anymore time on fear, grief, doubt, or any of that kind of bullshit. I know he would be proud of me today, tackling the big things I need to, and taking steps to learn how to relax, to take better care of myself. I finally was able to talk to God, tell him I am still mad, but I am ready to start talking to him again, I told God, I just need help, I don't know how sometimes to process all this. Hopefully I start hearing the messages he is sending me soon, as it will take more time to really be open and still and find the way he is showing me.

For the first time in a long time, I have hope, and that hope is starting to beat out the fear. I am learning to let go, to do what I like again,  I am being kind to myself and taking the steps I need to move forward.  Moving forward felt very hard at first, it felt like I was moving further away from my Dad, until I realized, he is coming with me, he will never be far from me, he is with me always. Like my friend Marsha said, "When I watch the sunset, I am seeing it through my Moms eyes, for her, sharing it with her." One smart cookie my friend Marsha.

My Dad was an amazing, wonderful man,  I miss dearly,  as I move forward and put that part of my life behind me, he is coming with me on all the great adventures yet to be. Thank you for all the love, and such a beautiful life Dad, I promise not to waste another minute.
All my love to you Pop,
Christina 


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Winters last breath

Winter is holding on, but Spring is just around the corner.....Thank goodness, feels like the longest winter of my life.

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